Head lamp for road vehicles



April 1, 193 J. RIDLINGTON 0 HEAD LAMP FOR ROAD VEHICLES Filed July 20, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 uvwwroe April 1, 1930. J. RIDLINGTON HEAD LAMP FOR ROAD VEHICLES Filed July 20, 1928 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 nwmm? A ril 1, 1930. J. RIDLINGTON 1,752,350

HEAD LAMP FOR ROAD VEHICLES Filed July 20, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet s mmwra? orrmwzr.

A ril 1, 1930. J. RIDLINGTON 1,752,850

HEAD LAMP FOR ROAD VEHICLES Filed July 20,1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 14 TTORNE Y April 1, 1930.

J. RIDLINGTON HEAD LAMP 150R ROAD VEHICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 nvvt/vrol Filed July 20, 1928 197'70lP/YA'Y ping mechanism; K

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH RIDLINGTON, OF ACTON, LONDON, ENGLAND HEAD LAMP non ROAD VEHICLES.

Application filed July 20, 1928, seriai'ivo; 294,239, and in Great Britain March 20, 1928.

This invention relates to supports for head lamps of road vehicles of the type which pro vides for the combined dipping and swivelling of the lamps by a single movement of a single lever, and it has for its object to permit of the lamps being dipped through their normalangle of dipping, i. e. the angle of dipping which will remove dazzle from on-com- 'ing traffic which is about to degrees,

without any swivelling movement and then to cause the lampsto swivelduring the remaining dipping movement. A further object of the invention? is to provide for the swivelling of the lamps in either direction after the normaldipping has been effected without causing any further dipping movement. f

According to the present invention the cam's employed for'imparting the swivelling movement to the lamps are mounted loosely on the transverse rocking shaft which carries-the lamps so that they can be rotated independently of said shaft. Each cam consists ofa drum in whichare two inclined 25 grooves with a short connecting straight orneutral groove said inclined grooves being arranged in opposite directions so that rotation ofthejcam in one direction will cause the lamps to be turned in onedirection and rotation of the cam in the opposite direction will cause the lamps to move in'the opposite directiOll, The length ofthe' straightor neutral part of thegroove' of'each' cam is such as will allow the lamps to bedipped through their normal angle" of dipping before the cam can be operated to swivel the lamps. The finger which engages the groove of the cam is carried by the lamp stem mounted in the adjacent socket in such a position that its axis passes through the centre of the rocking shaft. By coupling the stems carrying the two lamps together by means of suitable linkworkfa' single'cam may be employed. The cam is rotated by any suitable means which can be conveniently 'actuated by the driver of the vehicle from his seat, the preferred arrangementbeing by the rotation of the handleof'the lever" operates the dip- 1 Td' prevent any independent' swivelling movement being imparted to the lamps until they have been partiallydipped a locking device isemployed to secure the cam against rotation until the predetermined dipping movement of the lamps has been efi'ected. A 5 convenient form of the locking device comprises a pivoted lever carrying at one end a stud which is adapted to engage a hole, recess,or groove in the cam whereby its rotary movement will be prevented, and at the other end carrying a finger with which the lever, byjwhich the rocking movement is imparted to the transverse shaft for dipping the lamps, engages, after the predetermined dipping movement has been imparted to the lamps, a suitable spring being employed to return the pivoted lever to bring it into locking engagement with the cam. Means may be provided for rendering this locking device 'inefiective during therunning of the vehicle from the drivers seat, so that the lamps can be swivelled without being dipped.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate this invention :Figures 1 and 2 are views in side and front elevation respectively of the lamp carrier. Figures8, 1 and 5, are views in side elevation, sectional front elevation and plan respectively of thepreferred manipulating mechanism. Figure 6 is a developed view of the cam, and Figure 7 is a similar view of a modified form of cam.

Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like numerals of reference.

The brackets for supporting the lamps not shown in the drawings-are carried by stems 1 which are mounted in sockets 2 carried by brackets 2* on the cross or transverse shaft 3. In the present construction as a single cam is employed the two stems 1 are coupled by arms and a link'tand 'the cam 5' is arranged to operate one of said stems, the boss or finger 6 which engages the cam being carried by an arm 7 mounted onthe stem 1 in the adjacent socket 2. U c

The cam 5 which is mounted loosely on the shaft 3 consists of a drum in which are two oppositely inclined grooves 5 and 5 with a shortstraight length of groove 5 between 1 them. For convenienceinmailufacture the m two grooves may be made as a single con 8 fixed on said shaft andqcoupled to the hand,

operating lever 9 by means of a rod or link 10 and a convenient mechanism for imparting a rocking motion to the cam 5 consists of an arm ll carried by said cam which is coupled by means of a link 12 to an arm 13 carried by a rocking tubular shaft 14 mounted on therod or link 10. Motion is imparted to this rocking shaft 14 by the rotation of a knob 9* at the upper end of the operating lever 9 which acting through a screw gear 15 imparts motion to a swinging arm 16 which is coupled toan arm 17 on the rocking shaft 14: by a link 18, the links 12 and 18 being connected to their respective arms by means of ball and socket or other type of universal joint. This mechanism is irreversible so that while the cam can be rotated by turning the knob 9* no movement of the cam can. take place until a turning movement is imparte to said knob.

j The positive locking device for preventing any swivelling movement being imparted to the lamps except until they have been partly dipped consists of a lever 19 pivoted on one of the supports 20 carrying the bearings of the transverse shaft 3 and carrying at its upper end a stud'2l which engages aslot 22 in the cam and of an offset arm 23 at the other end of the lever with which the arm 8 engages immediately after the end of the predetermined movement of, the transverse shaft to produce the normal dipping of the lamps,

a suitable spring 24 being employed to return the lever to bring it into locking engagement with the cam.

This device functions as followsz-If it is desired to dip the lamps through the normal angle of dip-during which no. swivelling movement takes placethe" lever 9 is simply pushed forward to the desired extent. If it is desired to swivel as well as dip the lamps the lever 9 is pushed further forward so that the arm 8., engages the arm 23 on the lever lQ and Withdraws the stud 21 from engagement with the cam. The further clipping of the lamps will cause them toswivel in one direction but by rotating the upper part 9* of the lever 9 the camcan be independently rotated to swivel the. lamps, in either direction, and the lamps can be caused to swivel anddi p simultaneously by the combined manipulati ln 0f the lever 9. and its knob 9*. A 4

It willbe appreciatedr that by this invenr tion no swivelling movement can be imparted to the lamps until their dipping movement is substantially completed, and that after said dipping movement is completed independent swivelling movement can be imparted to the lamps in either direction, but should it be desired to independently swivel the lamps be fore any dipping movement has been imparted to them the cam locking device must be released, a meanssuch as a Bowden wire mechanism must be employed to release the locking device and thereby free the cam. This can be effected either by moving the arm 23 out of the path of movement of the arm 8 or by withdrawing the stud 21 out of engagement with the. slot 22 of the cam.

What I claim is j l. A mounting for head lamps of motor road vehicles comprising stems adapted to carry the lamps, a rocking shaft mounted in fixed bearings, socketscarried by said shaft in which said stems are mounted, a coupling between said two stems, a grooved cam loosely mounted on saidshaft in juxtaposition to one of the lamp sockets, an arm fixed on the stemin the lamp socket adjacent to the cam and adapted to engage the groove in the cam, meansfor rocking the shaft, means for rotating the cam on said shaft, a device for locking the cam against rotation, and means for unlockingthe cam immediately beforetheend of the movement of the rocking shaft to produce the complete dipping of the lamps.

2. A mounting for head lamps of motor road vehicles comprising stems adapted to carry the lamps, a rocking shaft mounted in fixed bearings, sockets carried by said shaft in which said stems are mounted, a' coupling between said two stems, a grooved cam loosely mounted on said shaft-in juxtaposition to one of the lampsockets, an arm fixed on the stem in the lamp socket adjacent to the cam and adapted to engage thegroove in the cam, means for rocking the shaft, means for rotating the cam on the shaft, a device for locking the cam against rotation, means for unlocking the cam immediately before the end of the movement of. the rocking shaftto produce the complete dipping of the lamps, and means for controlling the cam locking device from the drivers' seat.

3. A device for mountinghea'd lamps of motor, road vehicles comprising stem adapted to carry the lamps, a rocking shaft mounted in bearlngs carried by the chassis, sockets mounted on the shaft in which said stems are mounted, a coupling between said two stems, a handlever for rocking said shaft, a grooved cam looselymounted on said shaft in juxtaposition to one ofthe lam-p sockets having two incl ned grooves with a short connecting straight groove, means mounted on the lever fonrrocking the shaft for. rotating the: cam on said shaft, an arm fixed on the stem in the; lamp socket adjacent, to the cam and adapted to engage the groove in the cam, a device for locking the cam against rotation, and means for automatically unlocking the cam beforethe end of the movement of the rocking shaft to produce the complete dipping of the lamps.

4. A'device for mounting head lamps of motor road vehicles comprising stems adapted to carry the lamps, a rocking shaft 10 mounted in bearings carried by the chassis, tWo sockets carried by the shaft in which said stems are mounted, a coupling between said two stems, a hand lever for rocking said shaft, a grooved cam loosely mounted on said 15 shaft in juxtaposition to one of the lamp socketshaving two inclined grooves with a short connecting straight groove, means mounted on the hand lever for rotating the cam on the'shaft, an arm fixed on the stem 20 in the lamp socket adjacent to the cam and adapted to engage the groove in the cam, a locking device for fixing the cam against rotation, and means for controlling the cam locking device from the drivers seat.

a; JOSEPH RIDLINGTON. 

